Oil atomizer



April 9, 1940. R. SCHULTZ ETAL I 2,195,685

OIL ATOMI ZER Filed March 7, 1938 A; 6 INVENTOR.

BY fm m I wazam ATTORNEY. w

invention to provide an improved oil atomizer Patented Apr. 9 1940 g on. ATOMIZER Raymond E. Schultz, Elm Grove, and Earl L. Kullmann, Milwaukee, Wis., assignors, by

mesne assignments, to Socony-Vacuum Oil Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application March 7, 1938, Serial No. 194,354 s-olaims. (01.18.4-56) This invention relates to improvements in oil atomizers.

Heretofore, devices have been utilized for causing atomization of oil and for introducing the same into a steam line leading to an engine or other steam operated device requiring lubrication. Where a relatively light oil is employed or where steam pressures are high there is no particular difiiculty in obtaining proper atomization W'Wh any ordinary device. Light oil, however, does not always provide effective lubrication, and, it is frequently necessary or desirable to utilize a heavy oil in steam operated devices where the steam is at a relatively low pressure. It is, therefore, a general object of the present posed main without changing the desired vertical disposition ofthe atomizing chamber.

Other objects of the invention are to provide facture and assemble, which can be readily cleaned, which is light in weight, and well adapted for the purpose described.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists of the improved oil atomizer and all its parts and combinations as set forth in the claims and allequivalents thereof.

In the accompanying drawing illustrating one complete embodiment of the preferred form of the invention, in which the same reference numerals designate the same parts in all of the views: K which is capable of u g complete atomiza- Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view through the tion of heavy O "under relatively low pressure device showing it attached to a portion of a verconditions. tically disposed steam main;

A further object of the invention is to pro- Fig. 2 is an elevational view of vide an improved atomizer insertable in the assembly alone; i h steam i leading to a steam op a v c Fig. 3 is a' cross-sectional view through the wherein st m s ar-passed thr u h the dev atomizing cylinder showing one of the baffle discs and wherein the atomizer is so constructed as'to ther in; create an emulsion consisting of steam con- Fig. 4 is a similar view showing an oppositely densate and oil, said emulsion being forced to disposed b m di d travel a Cirfiuitous Course t effect thorough Fig. 51s a front elevational view of the device atomization Of the Oil, during such travel and showing it. connected to a, horizontally disposed thorough intermingling of the atomized oil with t m i 7 v the condensate. As a result, when the emulsion Referring more particularly to the drawing, s d s a ed to t e Steam main. the Conden the numeral 6 designates a vertically disposed sate W111 flash back into steam and the atomized stea nv main having threaded openings 1 and 8 oil will be evenly disbursed or distributed throughout the steam flowing through the main so that said steam will be an efiec'tive carrier to transport .the atomized oil to the parts to be lubricated.

A more specific objectof the invention is to provide an oil atomizer having a substantially vertically disposed atomizing chamber within which the emulsion of steam condensate and oil is forced upwardly against gravity to effect more thorough breaking up or atomization of the oil.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a device as above described wherein there are a multitude of superimmsed and slightly spaced baflies in the atomizing chamber,- said baflies being constructed and arranged to cause the emulsion to travel over a circuitous course to obtain more complete atomization of the oil and a more thorough intermingling of the oil and condensate during such extended travel.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device as above described which may be connected to either a vertically or a horizontally disthe baiile disc length of piping 9 has one end threaded into the opening I and said end is internally threaded to receive a threaded end of a steel tube Ill which tube projects into the interior of the steam main 6. The free end of the tube Ill is cut oil angularly as at H to more readilyintercept steam from the steam main as indicated by the arrow. The outer end of the pipe section 9 is connected byv a union nut I2 and elbow l3 with a length of piping l4, and the lower end of the piping I4 is connected by an elbow l5 and threaded nipple IS with a T member IT. The nipple [6 may be formed intermediate the elbow and the T with a hexagonal portion l8 cooperable with awrench to facilitate the adjustment of the parts.

' A force feed oil-feeding device may be attached t the oil inlet I9 to supply oil, preferably drop by drop, to the device as needed, and 'a non-return check valve 20 is interposed between the oil inlet l9 and the chamber 2| of the T H.

A cylinder'22, which is preferably vertically disposed, has its bottomend closed by a cap 23 an atomizer which is relatively simple tomanuextending through a wall thereof. A short and its upper end closed by a cap 24 which caps provide a communication between said chamber 2| and the atomizing chamber 21.

A rod 29 has its upper endthreaded into an opening 39 of the top cap 24 and has its lower end threaded into an opening 3| of the bottom cap 23, and assembled on said rod and held'in position by the nuts 32 and 33 is a battle disc assembly designated generally .by the numeral 34. The baflie discs are preferably about three sixty-fourths of an inch thick and formed of brass, and there is one set of said discs, which discs are indicated by the numeral 35, having fiat spots 38 on one side thereof as indicated in Fig. 3. There is another set of discs, designated by the numeral 31, which alternate in position with the-discs 35, and which have flat spots 38 on the opposite side from the flat spots 36, as illustrated in Fig. 4. Except for the flat spots the peripheries of the discs 35 and 36 fit relatively snugly within the cylinder 22 as shown in Fig. 1. The discs 35 and 31 are spaced from each other by washers 39 as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, which are preferably about three sixty-fourths of an inch thick. The discs and washers are all centrally apertured so that they may be slipped in position on the supporting rod 29.

Near the upper end of thecylinder 22 and above the baflie assembly is an outlet opening 40 which is adapted to receive one end 4| of a threaded nipple 42. The other end of the nipple 42 is threaded into the opening 8 of the steam main and said end of the nipple is formed with an extension 43 which projects into the main and which has an angularly cut downwardly facing end portion 44 as shown.

All portions of the device are preferably. formed of brass with the exception of the members l0 and 43 which are preferably of steel.

When steam is flowing downwardly through the main 6 some of said steam will be intercepted by the upwardly facing angularly cut end portion I of the tube l0, and said steam will pass through the pipe sections 9 and I 4, into the chamber 2| of the T, and through said chamber into the bottom of the atomizing chamber 21. Oil admitted to the chamber 2| will rise through fitting 29 and into the atomizing chamber be-v cause it is lighter than condensate. By the time the steam reaches the chamber 2| and bottom of the atomizing chamber it will in most cases be in the form of condensate. Any suitable form of cooling means may be associated with the pipeif desired to facilitate such condensation. This is, however, in most cases 'unnecessary.

The steam condensate and oil are forced upthorough intermingling of the atomized oil with the condensate it is necessary, where heavy ofl in the atomizing chamber.

is employed and where pressures are relatively low, to utilize the novel arrangement disclosed The emulsion will first pass through the opening'45 between the fiat spot 36 of the lowermost baflie disc 35 and the cylindrical wall 22, and said emulsion will then be between the firs and second baflle discs.

In order to 'pass above the second baflie disc, however, the.emulsion must travel to the other side of the atomizing chamber or to the left hand side, referring to Fig. 1, where it can then pass upwardly through the opening 46 between flat spot 38 of the second baflle disc and the left hand wall portion of the cylinder 22. Thus the emulsion will be forced from one side of the atomizing chamber to the other until it emerges 'to a position above the uppermost baflle disc.

Due to the relatively close spacing of the baflie discs, any oil tending to adhere to said discs will be quickly wiped off by, the condensate, and due to the baffle arrangement and the circuitous course pf travel, the oil will be thoroughly atomized and thoroughly intermingled with the condensate by the time it reaches the upper end of the atomizing chamber. .If any of the steam should not becompletely condensed by the time it reaches the bottom of the atomizing chamber, it will be quickly reduced to condensate before it has travelled upwardly any great distance in the atomizing chamber, The emulsion in the upper end of the atomizing chamber will be discharged through the tube 43 into the steam main, and inasmuch as the end 44 is tapered there is a vacuum adjacent said end or an area of little or no pressure so that because of said low pressure area the condensate coming in contact with the live steam in the, main will be immediately flashed back into steam and the atomized oil carried by the condensate will be disbursed through the steam so that the latter can act as an effective carrier to transport said atomized oil to the parts to be lubricated.

The forcing of the emulsion upwardly against gravity through a vertical atomizing chamber to fill said chamber is important because oil has a natural tendency to rise in condensate and this causes more complete atomization of the oil and more thorough intermingling of the oil with the condensate. If it is desired to make an installation in a horizontally disposed main rather than in a vertically disposed main, this can be same relationship with respect to the direction of travel of steam as in Fig. 1.

The baflie' arrangement utilized is not only effective but simplifies manufacture, it being unnecessary to form the bafiles on the walls of the cylinder 22. With the present arrangement the baffles can be quickly and easily assembled on the rod 29 as shown in Fig. 2 and then inserted in the cylinder 22 to be held in position by the end caps 23 and 24. This same arrangement makes cleaning of the device very easy, it being merely necessary to remove one of the caps of the cylinder 22 and withdraw' the baflie assembly.

The device is foolproof in operation and will operate even though the atomizing chamber should become clogged through failure to clean. If such clogging should occur the oil will back up through the pipes l4 and 9 and flow out of the normal inlet opening-ll.

Although only one form of the. invention has been shown and described, it is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invenchamber, a conduit having one end connectable with a steam main and having its other end connected to the-lower portion of said atomizing chamber, means for directing oil into the lowerend of said atomizing chamber, and a plurality of superimposed bafile members in said atomizing chamber for causing atomization of said oil and intermingling of oil and steam condensate as the latter travel upwardly through said atomizing chamber, and means for connecting the upper portion of the atomizing chamber with said steam main to discharge the emulsion of oil and condensate into said main.

2. An oil atomizer comprising a member forming a sumtantially vertically disposed atomizing chamber, an inlet conduit having one end connectable with a steam main and having its other end connected to the lower portion of said atomizing chamber, means for directing oil into the lower end of said atomizing chamber, means within said chamber for causing atomization of said oil and intermingling of oil and steam condensate as the latter travel upwardly through said atomizing chamber, andmeans removed from the inlet conduit for independently connecting the upper portion of the atomizing chamber with said steam main to discharge the emulsion of oil and steam condensate into said main, said inlet conduit being angularly movable with respect to the atomizing chamber member whereby the device may be connected to either a vertically or horizontally disposed steam main with the inlet conduit and discharge connection in spaced relationship while maintaining the atomizing chamber in a substantially vertical position.

3. An oil atomizer comprising a tubular member forming an atomizing chamber therein, an

inlet conduit having one end connectable witha steam main and having its other end connected to said atomizing chamber, means for directing oil into said chamber, a discharge conduit leading from said chamber, a rod extending axially of said chamber, a plurality of oil atomizing baflle said ro 'xtends, spacers between said baflie members, a d means cooperating with said rod above and below the bafiles for holding the same in position. I

4. The method of introducing atomized oil into members having central apertures through which a steam line comprising causing steam condensate under pressure to-travel upwardly, admitting oil to the upwardly moving condensate whereby said oil will be buoyed upwardly in the condensate, positively causing said condensate and oil to travel back and forth along a circuitous path as they move upwardly until complete emulsification has taken place) and discharging the emulsion into a steam line.

5. An oil atomizercomprisinga tubular member forming an atomizing chamber therein, an inlet conduit having one end connectable with a steam main and having its other end connected to said atomizing chamber, adischarge conduit leading from said chamber, a rod extending axially of the chamber, a plurality of oil atomizing baffle discs having central apertures through which said rod extends, and smaller discs havin central apertures through which the rod extends positioned between the baflle discs to space the latter and to maintain fluid between discs adjacent the periphery of the chamber, the baflie discs being constructed to provide openings which a1- temate in position on adiacent discs to thereby create a circuitous passageway through the chamber and cause atomization of the oil and intermingling of the oil and steam condensate as the latter travel through the passageway.

said chamber, a ,plurality of oil atomizing baflle members having central apertures through which said rod extends supported on said rod, and

spacers between said baflie members.

RAYMOND E. SCHULTZ. EARL L. KULLMANN.

'40 from said chamber, a'rod extending axially of' 

